Finally a funk groove for stings. This uses only Synful Orchestra string sounds. There is no percussion or other libraries. What sounds like percussion is plucked strings that have been modified using Synful Orchestra Controls -- harmonic parity, harmonic tilt, and release time. No Delay for Expresion was used.

Synful's new horn section plays one of the most famous and virtuosic passages in the orchestral literature. 8 horns are used. No Delay for Expression (the new horn doesn't use DFE). The expression control (cc11) is set once at the beginning for overall level - LOUD! Then just velocity and note-on, note-off are used. This shows the stunning results that can be achieved with little effort using Synful's new horn.

In memory of Hannibal crossing the Alps with his elephants. Horn rips, slow glisses, stopped and open sounds, massive virtuosity and variety in articulation all determined by note-on/note-off and velocity. The horn rips and glisses are controlled using Synful's new rip gliss continuous control. The new horn wah control is used to determine how far the hand is in the bell during the stopped sound. No DFE.

Shows the lyrical side of Synful's new horn. A beautiful solo passage. Note the articulation on the fast downward staccato scale. As always, all articulations are determined simply by note-on/note-off and velocity. No DFE.

Famous trio section from Bach's F major Brandenburg. 2 staccato horns (played by four new Synful horns 2 per part here) and Synful oboe. Expression control set once at beginning. Just velocity and note-on/note-off. No DFE.

This is an extended Varesian-Mahlerian improvisation on the Duke Ellington classic The Mooche. Ellington chose the name after the french word for fly. 16 horns are used with a slow setting of the Gliss Rip control. This is a live keyboard improvisation: one take, no editing.

A tranquil but surreal musical setting is created. The intention is not only to imitate real strings but also to create imaginary instruments by using Synful to modify the natural sounds. The title comes from a Zen story told by John Cage on an old Folkways LP I got from my mother in 1966. Harmonic parity and long release times are applied to pizzicato and col-legno violins in combination with natural sul-ponticello and harmonics solo strings. All sounds are made using Synful Orchestra strings, there is no percussion and no other libraries. There are 5 tracks performed in real-time. No Delay for Expression is used in recording or playback .

A more agressive imaginary ensemble. 10 poorly synchronized cellos playing col-legno are subject to various harmonic parity settings and long release times. Seven aggressive Bartok pizz basses also use harmonic parity and long release times to provide an apocalyptic punch. In the middle section, as the cellos ascend into the higher register, I begin channeling 1950s Stockhausen. The recording was made 2 days after his death. All sounds are made using Synful Orchestra strings, there is no percussion and no other libraries. There are three improvised tracks played in real-time. No Delay for Expression is used in recording or playback .

Accessing a variety of articulations and dynamics is easily done with Synful just by playing it, without having to call up various samples clogging up your RAM. I wrote the music for this piece and then just played it into Synful and it perfectly interpreted my playing. Staccato, legato, marcato, long dynamic swells, fast legato runs, Synful can easily do all that and without having to load up any extra samples. Everything to play this was available from Synful right from the initial load. It is a true blessing to be able to write for strings as if they were real strings, not having to limit ideas for the samples that one can load or the limits in playability. Uses Delay for Expression. All sounds are 100% Synful.

Scherzo for Winds and Pizzicato Strings
composed and sequenced by Alain Mayrand

Copyright 2008 Alain Mayrand

A string pizzicato provides a playful backdrop for a nimble woodwind lines in this witty scherzo. The woodwind lines combine all manner of staccato and legato which Synful handles effortlessly providing a very musical result. I especially like the breath sound on the flute's accents and the reedy quality of the clarinet. All woodwinds are very expressive and react wonderfully to the expression control and velocity changes. Uses delay for expression. All sounds are 100% Synful.

This piece showcases all of Synful's string playing modes (and there are a lot of them). All of them were called up through key switching with each instrument group on a single track. It was great that everything was loaded at once with Synful and that switching to an articulation required no extra use of RAM. When you load up Synful everything is already there ready to be played! That really made writing this piece easy and very, very fast. I essentially improvised this piece so having easy and instantaneous access to all these sounds was wonderful. Cello and viola pizzicatos open this piece while violins perform sul pont trems. Bartok pizzicatos provide that jarring sound. High violin col legno provide a creepy texture for the shrill clarinet melody. Following that there are violin harmonics doubled by flute senza vibrato in counterpoint with a n english horn. A viola rhythm using col legno begins while muted violins play a swelling line. Uses delay for expression. All sounds are 100% Synful.

Getting that big, epic, soaring string sound without a lot of hocus-pocus has been the holy grail of digital musicians, especially film composers. With “Soaring” I wanted to show that with Synful this is possible, and easy to get. The piece starts out with solo woodwinds taking the melody, again showing in a sparse setting how expressive these instruments are. The solo cello comes in later, leading the way to the tutti where you can hear those soaring strings and eventually an epic french horn counterpoint. Uses Delay for Expression. All sounds are 100% Synful.

A large late-romantic 12 player bass ensemble plays tremolo with all their ominous expressive power. The intention is pure realism and drama. The tremolo is made more natural by extensive use of the tremolo rate control. Note the variety of attacks and tremolo synchronizaton across the 12 players. There is one track played in real-time. No Delay for Expression is used in recording or playback .

16 first and 16 second violins begin with dramatic tremolos in octaves. In the lower register all 32 violins play tremolo in unison. There are two tracks played in real-time. No Delay for Expression is used in recording or playback .

A single bass plays an expressive pizz solo. Note release sounds including string buzz, and natural sounding repeated notes add to the realism. One track performed real-time with no Delay for Expression.

10 basses play a simple classical pizz accompaniment passage. Note the spacial destribution and imperfect synchronization. A single track is performed real-time. No Delay for Expression is used in recording or playback .

A single cello plays a tender pizzicato serenade. In the faster part of the phrase, natural sounding note transitions and repeated notes add to the realism. One track performed real-time with no Delay for Expression.